Author: Jackie Breyer

NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast Corporation, announced the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation. The studio will become part of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, which includes Universal Pictures, Fandango, and NBCUniversal Brand Development. Under the terms of the agreement, DreamWorks Animation has an equity value of approximately $3.8 billion. DreamWorks Animation stockholders will receive $41 in cash for each share of DreamWorks Animation common stock. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of DreamWorks Animation and Comcast, and the controlling shareholder of DreamWorks Animation has approved the agreement by written consent. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2016. Following the completion of the transaction, DreamWorks Animation CEO and co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg will become Chairman of DreamWorks New Media, which will be comprised of the company’s ownership interests in Awesomeness TV and NOVA. Katzenberg will also serve as a consultant to...

Moose Toys received the 2015 Partner Award of Excellence from Target retailers. The award acknowledges the company for their innovative leadership and good business practices. For Moose Toys, the award completes the trifecta of honors from leading retailer partners in the U.S. In February, the company received the Toy Supplier of the Year award from Walmart, and the Vendor of the Year award from Toys “R” Us. Moose Toys’ most popular products over the years include Shopkins, The Trash Pack, and Mighty Beans. They also won the Toy Industry Association’s Girl Toyof the Year award two years in a row for Shopkins. The company continues to grow its portfolio with brands such as Little Live Pets, Beados, and...

Toy State secured a licensing partnership with Nickelodeon Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) to design, develop, and manufacture lines of toy vehicles featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brand. The two-year deal will allow Toy State to create Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed vehicles that will be available this summer at major retailers across the EMEA region. Toy State also recently added Barbie to its licensing portfolio, joining the company’s flagship Road Rippers and Nikko brands, as well as lines featuring licensed properties including Hot Wheels, Caterpillar, WWE, Thomas & Friends, and DC Super...

Spin Master Corp. is forming an Australian subsidiary Spin Master Australia (Pty) Ltd. Spin Master Australia will begin trading in 2017 and will assume distribution for the majority of the company’s brands for Australia. Based on NPD data, Spin Master was the fourth largest toy, games, and entertainment company in North America in 2015 and ranks in the top 10 globally based on Euromonitor data. Spin Master has distributed product in Australia and New Zealand for over 15 years. Overseeing business operations will be Jacqui Webster, recently appointed as general manager, Australia and New Zealand, reporting into Derek Seidewand, vice president, International Sales. Prior to joining Spin Master, Webster held senior roles with Hasbro, Mattel, Paramount Pictures, and several international consumer packaged goods companies. Spin Master Australia will be based in Sydney, NSW, and a warehouse location will be finalized in the coming...

CJ E&M, an Asian content and media company, and UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, have partnered to support UNESCO’s girls’ education global campaign with Rainbow Ruby, CJ E&M’s new preschool animation series. “Rainbow Ruby is the first original global animation series created by CJ E&M as a co-production project with China Entertainment that will reach out to a global audience,” said Sang Gill (Tschaik) Lee, EVP, CJ E&M. “Rainbow Ruby is a 3D CGI animation series that follows a 6-year-old girl named Ruby as she transports to Rainbow Village, where her toys come alive. Throughout the series Ruby experiences different professions, introducing preschool girls to the concept of a dream job, letting them imagine how their jobs can improve their lives in the future. I strongly believe it will be a fun and exciting experience for girls.” The “Better Life for Girls” campaign, launched in November 2014 by CJ E&M and UNESCO, aims to help address the lack of access to quality education faced by girls in developing regions. It is the first time that UNESCO joins a global partnership centered on an animation-based character for its key initiative. Rainbow Ruby aims to help empower young girls to dream big and look to a bright future. The animation series also brings awareness to the harsh reality that girls and young women in many developing regions...

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